1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to the arts of liquid/liquid separators and vacuum transport systems, specifically to numerous significant improvements to a previously patented Mixed Immiscible Liquids Vacuum, Separation, and Disposal Method and System (U.S. Pat. No. 5,679,258 to Petersen dated 1997 Oct. 21).
2. Definitions                (a) The term “mixed” means two existing together.        (b) The term “immiscible” means naturally resisting, or being incapable of, blending or combining homogeneously and permanently. Immiscible liquids normally cannot be blended together whatsoever, or can be blended only slightly.        (c) The term “treated” means has already undergone some physical or chemical process or processes that has altered its original characteristics.        (d) The term “untreated” means has not yet undergone any physical or chemical process or processes intended to alter its original characteristics.        (e) The term “intermediate” means between two.        (f) The term “terminal” means the final, last, or end.        (g) The term “source” means the origination of, or the initial physical location of, untreated mixed immiscible liquids, and might comprise sumps, pits, tanks, bilges, drains, sewers, or spills into water or on land.        (h) The term “facility” means a physical point, site, location, treatment plant or system, sewer, drainage pipe, drainage field, or any container, tank, or similar storage receptacle.        (i) The term “phase” means an identifiable, partially or completely separable, component liquid in mixed immiscible liquids.        (j) The term “heavy phase” means the phase in mixed immiscible liquids with the higher specific gravity.        (k) The term “light phase” means the phase in mixed immiscible liquids with the lower specific gravity.        (l) The term “predominant phase” means the phase in mixed immiscible liquids that is greater than or equal to 50% by volume of the total volume of mixed immiscible liquids.        (m) The term “subdominant phase” means the phase in mixed immiscible liquids that is less than 50% by volume of the total volume of mixed immiscible liquids.        (n) The term “conduit” means a pipe, tube, hose, or other similar device to transport liquids or gases.        (o) The term “vacuum tank” means a sealed vessel, chamber, reservoir, or container capable of sustaining within itself a vacuum (negative atmospheric pressure) without structural collapse or leakage.        (p) The term “water” can mean distilled water, fresh water, lake water, stream water, river water, creek water, ground water, waste water, and/or sea water.        (q) The term “proximate” means physically adjacent to.        
3. Discussion of Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,679,258 to Petersen dated 1997 Oct. 21 describes a system that:                1. Conveys, using negative atmospheric pressure (i.e., “vacuum collects”), two mixed immiscible liquids (“liquids”) of different specific gravities from their source location(s) into a vacuum tank, and        2. Removes, under vacuum, any grit, sediment, particulates, and floating debris that might be present in the liquid inflow stream, and        3. Removes, under vacuum, any entrained air that might be present in the liquid inflow stream, and        4. Dissociates, under vacuum, the two liquids into their respective gross fractions inside the vacuum tank using:                    4.1. Vacuum-induced low grade dissolved air flotation, and            4.2. Differential specific gravity/quiescent separation, and            4.3. If the two liquids are water and oil, optional oleophilic media contact entrapment, and                        5. Extracts the two separated phases from the vacuum tank and discharges them into:                    5.1. Supplemental phase separation stage(s), and/or            5.2. Their respective phase terminal facilities.                        
The above described system suffers from a number of problems and disadvantages, more specifically described as follows (NOTE: The numbers in parentheses in the text refer to the “List of Reference Numerals” reflected in U.S. Pat. No. 5,679,258):                1 Emulsified oil (occasionally resembling pudding in consistency) that entered into the vacuum tank (51) could adhere to the phase interface sensor (44)—a float switch using a specially weighted float—which could immobilize it, thereby disabling its proper light phase (e.g., oil) extraction and discharge pump (39) and heavy phase (e.g., water) extraction and discharge pump (38) operation selection function. As a consequence of this malfunction, oil could escape through the water extraction and discharge pump, or water could escape through the oil extraction and discharge pump. Also as noted in U.S. Pat. No. 5,679,258 “Background—Discussion of Prior Art” paragraph 10, electronic interface probes do not offer a preferential solution to this problem either. Thus, neither embodiment of the basic system affords reliable and consistent light phase/heavy phase (e.g., oil/water) interface detection.        2 The heavy phase (e.g., water) could inadvertently enter the light phase (e.g. oil) extraction and discharge pump inlet pipe elbow (26A) if, for example, the phase interface sensor failed (see paragraph (2) above), or if the oil extraction and discharge pump inlet piping check valve (52C) failed. Under these conditions, the oil extraction and discharge pump, at best, would eventually discharge the heavy phase (e.g., water) into the light phase receptacle(s) (41), thereby defeating the desire to minimize the quantity of water present with the separated and stored oil. In addition to the previous statement, and at worst, the oil extraction and discharge pump, despite being of a low sheer/low agitation type, would partially emulsify the oil, further complicating ultimate oil disposition.        3 Whenever the liquid surface level in the vacuum tank is at or just below the upper liquid surface level sensor (43C), then the liquid surface level in the narrow space between the floating light phase vertical barrier plate (37) and the grit, sediment, particulate, and floating debris removal/collection chamber wall (61) will rest nearly at the same level (depending of course on the amount of water and/or oil that is trapped in this narrow space). If the liquid is predominantly, or entirely, oil, then any water that enters the vacuum tank will flow over the horizontal overflow weir (62) and cascade down through this relatively thick layer of oil. This water flow will drag some of the oil with it under the bottom of the floating light phase vertical barrier plate, while agitating the remaining oil (even if slightly), which will emulsify it (even if slightly). Minimizing the degree of oil emulsification is generally desirable in all styles and types of oil/water separators.        4 The inflow stream grit, sediment, particulate, and floating debris chamber barrier screen (45), which provided about 75 in2 of net effective surface area, would, unless the liquid inflow streams was unusually “clean”, plug after only a few hours of system operation, thereby rendering further liquid collection and inflow impossible. To remedy this serious problem and restore full operational capabilities, the operator performed one (or both) of the following time-consuming actions:                    A. Deenergized system electric power; purged vacuum tank vacuum; disconnected and temporarily removed selected system components that permitted subsequent access to vacuum tank interior; removed vacuum tank top; cleaned inflow stream grit, sediment, particulate, and floating debris chamber barrier screen; reinstalled vacuum tank top; reconnected system components previously removed; reenergized system electric power.            B. Deenergized system electric power; purged vacuum from tank vacuum; introduced water into vacuum tank through vacuum tank bottom drain valve (53B) until vacuum tank was almost completely full; opened grit, sediment, particulate, and floating debris removal/collection chamber drain valve (53C), which backflushed inflow grit, sediment, particulate, and floating debris chamber barrier screen, hopefully removing all or most of the accumulated material. If this tactic failed, then the operator resorted to restorative action A above.                        